- KAM also called for harmonisation of existing legislatives and regulatory statutes to ease compliance in the business sector.
- Association called for inclusion of manufacturers during formulation of Bills affecting business environment
Image: HANDOUT
Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) has called on Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetang’ula to facilitate and encourage the enactment of business-friendly laws.
KAM further called for harmonisation of existing legislatives and regulatory statutes to ease compliance in the business sector.
Speaking during a courtesy call to Wetang’ula, KAM Chief Executive Officer Anthony Mwangi expressed concerns over taxation laws affecting the manufacturing sector.
He said manufacturers were trading on very tight margins and warned that the country could be staring at job losses, occasioned by reduced business in the industrial sector.
“The Kenya Association of Manufacturer’s three-year strategy is well aligned with the government’s development agenda and focused to increase the contribute growth of GDP hence creating jobs and developing the country’s economy,” said Mwangi.
He registered his worries about high taxation on products saying that there was a need to align the laws to Kenya’s export promotion policy and strategies.
Mwangi called for the removal of taxes on exports to encourage trade with other countries.
KAM is seeking to scrutinise several Bills that relate to the sector.
They include Prompt Payment Bill 2021, Kenya Drugs Authority Bill 2022, Sugar Bill 2019, the Public Participation Bill 2019, the Government Owned Entities Bill 2021, Local Content Bill 2018 and the Kenya Development Bank Bill 2020.
Wetang'ula appreciated KAM’s contribution to job creation and the economic growth of the country.
The Speaker said Kenya is a resilient nation with determined and hardworking people, who have often engaged in various businesses to make a living.
He underscored the fact that Kenya is advantaged and well-endowed with natural resources, opportunities, untapped potential and tremendous human resource in the business sector that needs to be guarded and supported for effective growth and development, as projected by KAM.
He committed to supporting the association by ensuring that KAM engages relevant committees, to establish bottlenecks on the way of their operations for high productivity.
Present at the meeting included KAM deputy head of policy, research and advocacy Miriam Bomett, KAM legal and regulatory manager Ruth Lemlem, KAM trade and tax committee Chair Bharat Shah, East African Breweries Limited (EABL) head of public policy Frida Mbugua and Kenya Wine Agencies Limited (KWAL) head of policy and regulatory affairs Eric Githua.
Mwangi reiterated that there was a need for Parliament, through legislation, to support manufacturers for optimal production.
He also called for the inclusion of manufacturers during the formulation of bills affecting the business environment
He noted that KMA has four-focus areas; global competitiveness, export-led growth, industrialised agriculture and SME development.
The CEO emphasised the need to strengthen the value chain businesses and involve all stakeholders including manufacturers, policymakers in the implementation of economic growth strategies.